Yesaia 43

1 Na afei, sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔbɔɔ wo, Yakob nea ɔnwen wo, Israel; “Nsuro na magye wo; mabɔ wo din afrɛ wo; woyɛ me dea.

But now, you people of Israel, listen to Yahweh, the one who established your nation. The one who caused you to become a nation [DOU] says this: “Do not be afraid, because I previously rescued you. I enabled you to have a personal relationship with me [MTY], and you belong to me.

2 Sɛ wofa nsu mu a, mɛka wo ho; na sɛ wutwa nsubɔnten no a, ɛremmu mfa wo so. Sɛ wonantew ogya no mu a, worenhyew; ogyaframa no renhye wo.

When you [experience dangerous situations], and [you feel like] [MET] you are crossing deep rivers, I will be with you. When you have very big troubles/difficulties, you will [LIT] be able to endure them. When [people try to kill you like they tried to kill Daniel’s three friends by] throwing them in a fire, you will not [die, just like Daniel’s three friends were not] burned up,

3 Na mene Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, Israel Kronkronni, wo Agyenkwa. Mede Misraim yɛ mpata ma wo na mede Kus ne Seba si wʼanan mu.

because I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the one who rescues you. I will enable [the army of the emperor of Persia] to conquer Egypt instead of conquering you; similarly I will enable them to conquer Ethiopia, and Seba [in Arabia], in order that you can be saved.

4 Sɛ wosom bo ma me na wowɔ anuonyam wɔ mʼanim na medɔ wo nti, mede nnipa bɛsesa wo, na mede nkurɔfo asesa wo nkwa.

I will cause other countries to be conquered, instead of your country; I will trade them for you, in order that you will not be killed, because you are very precious [DOU] to me and because I love you.

5 Nsuro, efisɛ meka mo ho; mede wo mma befi apuei fam aba na maboa wɔn ano afi atɔe fam.

Do not be afraid, because I am with you. [Some day] I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west.

6 Mɛka akyerɛ atifi fam se, ‘Munnyaa wɔn!’ ne anafo fam se, ‘Munnye wɔn ntena ha.’ Momfa me mmabarima mfi akyirikyiri mmra na me mmabea mfi asase ano mmra,

I will command the [rulers of the nations to] the north and to the south, ‘Allow all the people of Israel to return [to their country], from the most distant places on the earth.

7 obiara a me din da no so, nea mebɔɔ no de hyɛɛ me ho anuonyam, nea menwen no na meyɛɛ no.”

Allow all those who belong to me [MTY] to return, because I have caused them to become a nation in order that they would honor me; I am the one who has done that [DOU].’

8 Momfa wɔn a wɔwɔ ani, nanso wonhu ade wɔn a wɔwɔ aso nanso asisiw no mmra.

Summon the people who have eyes but [it is as though] they are blind; summon those who have ears but [because they do not listen to me, it is as though] they are deaf.

9 Aman no nyinaa boa wɔn ho ano, na nnipa no hyia mu. Wɔn mu hena na ɔkaa eyi fii mfiase na ɔpaee mu kaa nneɛma a atwam no kyerɛɛ yɛn? Ma wɔmmfa wɔn nnansefo mmra mmedi adanse sɛ wodi bem, sɛnea afoforo bɛte na wɔaka se, “Ɛyɛ nokware.”

Gather people of all nations together, ones from all people-groups, [and ask them this]: ‘Has any of their idols foretold the things that are happening now? And can any of them predict what will happen in the future?’ Then bring people who will testify and say ‘I heard them predict things, and what they predicted was what happened,’ [but they will be lying].”

10 “Mone me nnansefo, ne mʼasomfo a mapaw no,” sɛɛ na Awurade se, “Sɛnea mubehu na moagye me adi na moate ase sɛ me ne no. Wɔammɔ onyame bi anni mʼanim, na mʼakyi nso obiara remma.

But Yahweh says, “You people of Israel (are my witnesses/know what I have done), and you are the ones who serve me. I chose you in order that you would know me, believe in me, and understand that I am the only one who is [truly] God. There is no other [true] God. There was no other [true] God previously, and there will never be another [true] God.

11 Me, Me ara, Mene Awurade, na agyenkwa biara nni hɔ sɛ me.

I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.

12 Mada no adi na magye nkwa na mapae mu aka se, Me, na ɛnyɛ onyame nanani bi a ɔwɔ mo mu. Mone me nnansefo,” Awurade na ose sɛ, “Mene Onyankopɔn.

I said that I would rescue [your ancestors], and then I rescued them, and I proclaimed [that I had done it]. No foreign god among you did that! And you are witnesses that only I, Yahweh, am God.

13 Yiw, na efi teteete no me ne no. Obiara rentumi nnye mfi me nsam sɛ meyɛ biribi a, hena na obetumi adan no?”

I am God, the one who has existed forever and who will exist forever; no one can snatch people from my hand, and no one can alter/change what I have done.”

14 Sɛɛ na Awurade se, wʼAgyenkwa, Israel Kronkronni no: “Mo nti, mɛsoma akɔ Babilonia, na mede Babiloniafo nyinaa bɛba sɛ aguanfo wɔ ahyɛn a wɔde hoahoa wɔn ho no mu.

Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, is the one who rescues you; and this is what he says: “For your sake, I will send [an army] to [attack] Babylon. They will force the people of that city to flee in ships which they have been proud of.

15 Mene Awurade, wo Kronkronni no, Israel Yɛfo, wo Hene.”

I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king.

16 Sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔbɔɔ kwan wɔ po mu, kwan a ɛda asubun mu,

I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the [Red] Sea.

17 nea ɔtwee nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔ, asraafo ne ne nkekaho nyinaa, na wɔkaa hɔ a wɔansɔre bio, wɔadum wɔn te sɛ kanea mu ntamabamma:

Then I summoned the great army [of Egypt] to come with all their chariots and horses. [But when they tried to pursue my people], I caused the waves to flow over them [and they drowned]; their lives ended [like the light of a candle ends when someone] [MET] snuffs out the wick.

18 “Momma mo werɛ mfi kan nneɛma no monntɔ nnkɔ nea atwam no so.

But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].

19 Hwɛ, mereyɛ ade foforo! Mprempren, ɛrepue; na munhu ana? Merebɔ kwan afa nweatam so na mereyɛ nsuwansuwa wɔ asase wosee so.

Instead, consider the new thing that I am going to do. I have already started to do it; can you see it? I am going to make a road through the desert. And I will cause there to be streams in the wasteland/desert.

20 Mmoa a wɔyɛ keka hyɛ me anuonyam, adompo ne mpatu, efisɛ mema nsu wɔ nweatam so ne nsuwansuwa wɔ asase wosee so, de ma me nkurɔfo, wɔn a mapaw wɔn no nsu,

The jackals/wolves and owls and other wild creatures will thank me for giving them water in the desert. I will cause streams to appear in the dry desert in order that my people, the ones whom I have chosen, will have water;

21 nnipa a meyɛɛ wɔn maa me ho sɛ wɔmpae mu nka mʼayeyi.

I will do that for the people whom I have created [and chosen] to belong to me, and [some day] they will cause many others to praise me.

22 “Nanso, womfrɛɛ me, Yakob, wonhaw wo ho wɔ me ho, Israel.

But now, you descendants of Jacob, you refuse to request my help. It seems that you people of Israel have become tired of worshiping me.

23 Momfaa nguan mmrɛɛ me sɛ ɔhyew afɔrebɔde, na momfaa mo afɔrebɔ nhyɛɛ me anuonyam nso. Memmaa aduan afɔre nyɛɛ mo adesoa na memfaa nnuhuamgye nhaw mo.

You have not brought to me sheep or goats for offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar]; you have not honored me by [bringing to me any] sacrifices, even though the offerings of grain and incense [that I asked you] to bring to me were not a burden to you.

24 Montɔɔ nnuhuam mmrɛɛ me, na mommaa mo afɔrebɔde mu srade mmuu me so. Mmom, mode mo bɔne asoa me na mode mo mfomso ho haw abɛto me so.

You have bought for me fragrant reeds, and you have brought me the fat from your sacrifices. But these have not pleased me, because you have burdened me by all the sins that you have committed, and made me weary because of all (your iniquities/the wrong things that you have done).

25 “Me, me ara, mene nea ɔpepa mo bɔne, me nti, na menkae mo amumɔyɛ bio.

I am the one who is able to forgive you for all your sins; I am the only one who can do that, with the result that I will never think about them again.

26 Monhwehwɛ nea atwa mu no mu bio mma me, momma yɛmmɔ mu nnye asɛm no ho akyinnye; ka wʼasɛm a ɛkyerɛ sɛ wunni fɔ no.

Tell me what I have done that you do not like. Do you think that when you state your case, you will prove that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong) [IRO]?

27 Mo agya a odii kan no yɛɛ bɔne; mo kasamafo tew mʼanim atua.

No, [what has happened is that] the first ancestor of you Israelis sinned [against me], and since then, all your leaders have rebelled against me.

28 Enti magu mo asɔredan mu atitiriw anim ase, na mede Yakob ama ɔsɛe na mede Israel ama ahohora.

That is why I have caused your priests to be disgraced; and I have allowed others to destroy you people of Israel and caused you to be despised.”